5 Tips to Quickly Reboot Your Health Mid-Summer

When Summer approaches we tend to get more vigilant about exercising, eating healthier foods and cutting back on the junk food. We get laser focused on building the strength and energy that we’ll need for our Summer activities and vacations. And, we especially want to slim and shape our bodies so that we feel more comfortable in our skin while exploring and lounging around in our swimsuits, shorts, tank tops and summer dresses.

I know that my clients, coaching team and I were diligently getting in our 80 Day Obsession workouts and following that nutrition plan to shape our abs and buns for the summer months. We were excited about our results and definitely ready for the Summer to begin!

Here are my “before” and “afters” from our 80 day fitness and nutrition program…

Fast forward 6 weeks and many of us, including moi, have started to slack off a bit on our workouts and nutrition as we’ve been traveling, socializing and enjoying Summer treats and cocktails. All of a sudden I be like “what bakery did this muffin top come from?!? Oy Vey.” So when this happens and I start to feel “blah” I pull out a few trusty, simple strategies to quickly undo some damage and get back on track.

Start chugging LOTS of Water! Water will not only keep you hydrated and boost your energy (so that you don’t reach for sugary snacks as a pick-me-up) but, it will also fill you up and keep you from overindulging. Here’s how to get more water in each day:

Leave an 8-16 oz glass of water by your bed at night and then drink it first thing in the morning before your feet hit the floor. You’ll rehydrate quickly, flush your system and get an energy boost.

Carry around a water bottle that has a straw-type feature. It’s so much easier to drink water when sucking through a straw, it’s innate! My clients always drink more water when they switch to drinking from straws.

Drink a glass of water 30 minutes before your meals. This helps to fill you up and gives you a routine to ensure you are getting more water in each day. Set an alarm on your phone if you need a reminder to do this!

Begin your day with a healthy balanced breakfast. If you’ve been enjoying more indulgent breakfasts as you’ve been on your travels, start by cleaning up your breakfast and save treats for your other meals. When you start off with a healthy meal and nourish your body, you are less likely to crave foods later or experience blood sugar crashes. And, subconsciously, you feel great about your choice and may find you’ll make better choices later in the day.

A balanced breakfast will include 1/2 a plate of leaner protein and 1/2 a plate of fiber filled carbs like fruit, oatmeal, quinoa and sweet potatoes.

Veggies are always a bonus at breakfast!

Replace sugary beverages with low or no sugar options. It’s easy when it’s hot out to guzzle down flavored beverages without even noticing how many you’ve had. Not only do we get more thirsty but the sun drains our energy so our body craves sugar as a quick energy source. Did you know that sodas, juices and lemonades can carry 7 tsps. of sugar in each serving? That’s 30 grams of sugar in one pop!!

Try fruit infused waters and sparkling water as alternatives to fruit juices and lemonade. Here are 25 detox water recipes you can try.

Drink a glass of water between each cocktail to slow down the number of alcohol beverages you consume at a BBQ or on the beach.

Use sparkling water or fresh lime/lemon juices as cocktail mixers instead of sugary drinks or mixers.

Cut out juice at breakfast unless it is a veggie or green juice that doesn’t contain concentrated fruit juice. Even fresh fruit juices can house a big dose of sugar!

Do a quick nutritional cleanse like the 3-Day Refresh. I’ve done this program several times usually before a vacation to slim down or right afterwards to help me get back on track with clean foods. It also helps to flush out any toxic build up from my trip. It takes just 3-days and you feel more energized and lighter when you are through. More info What’s great about this program is that it resets your palette so that fresh and healthy foods taste great again especially since you’ve become accustomed to the overly flavored foods you’ve been eating on your trips or at your social events. You’ll feel great quickly and it will inspire you to keep on track with clean eating moving forward.

Commit to a structured fitness program that is convenient and requires little time commitment. I find when I commit to a fitness program, I am more likely to stick to regular workouts than when I haphazardly choose workouts as I go. There is just something about checking off the daily required workout that keeps me motivated when I don’t feel like working out! Since having completed the 80 Day Obsession program, I have been a bit more off pace and random with my workouts and I can feel my consistency fading and my progress slowing. And, I’m missing the motivation from our online group! When you add the accountability of doing the program along with others, it boosts your success factor in a significant way. So since I know I need more structure to my workouts, I’ve decided to start a new strength and HIIT cardio program with my team next Monday, July 16th. We are looking for others who want to join us! If you are up to doing four, 30-40 minute workouts per week that will cover both your strength and cardio training in one fell swoop, CLICK HERE for more info about this fitness program and being part of our accountability group…

I hope these quick and simple action steps will help you get back on track so that you have the energy, strength and confidence to enjoy the rest of your Summer and thrive!

xoxo, Heather

PS ~ Join me in the Thrive Tribe Online Health Club for regular fitness, nutrition and healthy lifestyle tips and inspiration. This is my version of a virtual health and wellness studio where you can learn and connect with myself and other fitness enthusiasts!